An Easy Burden to bear
by Elenhin
Summary: Hercules with Xena and Gabrielle playing a part. Gabrielle is troubled by certain facts, and Iolaus offers to help her make sense of things. One Shot.


Author's Note:This is a one shot with Hercules with a bit of Xena. Gabrielle has a problem and Iolaus helps her think it through.

Warning: _The warning is placed here for vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen._

Disclaimer: I do not own Hercules the Legendary Journey, I make no money and boy does that make it hard to keep the computer with power… No permanent harm will ever come to Iolaus but a bit of Alcmene's attention and a big bowl of chicken soup might not be amiss at the end of some stories…

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_**An Easy Burden to bear **_

"Hey," Iolaus sank down on the bench next to Gabrielle, sliding a goblet in front of her.

"Hi," she took it and peered into it, noting that it was ale. "Thanks."

"You're looking pretty exhausted," he noted with a wry grin. "Xena working you too hard?"

"No," she shook his head. "That's not it exactly." She bit her lip and Iolaus frowned, Gabrielle was rarely at a loss of words. She could usually talk a great deal about nothing at all, and she almost always had something to say. It had been sometime since the last time they saw the warrior princes and the blond bard and he had missed them both. He and Hercules had been busy, saving damsels in distress, defeating monsters and all such things that he would say they did if anybody asked.

"So what's wrong?" he asked. Xena and Hercules were over by the bar, having found some space there while he had gone to join Gabrielle at her table.

"Look, it's kind of complicated, and I'm not sure you'd understand," she sighed. "In fact, no, I'm sure you wouldn't understand."

"I'm willing to listen," he smiled. "And you might be surprised. I was married you know, I know a few things about women."

"Well, this isn't about women," she decided. "I know you have plenty of experience with them," she added and he giggled cheerfully. "Look Iolaus, it's sweet of you trying to help, but asking you for advice on this would be like asking Joxer to teach you to fight."

"I thought you said Joxer surprised you from time to time," he grinned. "Come on Gabrielle, maybe I can't help, but you know I'll listen and I won't laugh or anything. Why don't you tell me?"

"Alright," she gave in. "But if you laugh I'll hit you with my staff, and Xena has shown me where to hit so that it hurts the most, and for a long time."

"Then I won't laugh," he giggled. He knew she'd never actually do that, she might hit him alright, but she'd pick a spot where it wouldn't do any damage, likely whack him over the head.

"Well, sometimes I feel like I'm just a burden to Xena," she started slowly. "She's 'the warrior princess' a warrior, and I'm just a sidekick."

"I know a lot about being a sidekick," he decided with a wry smile. "So far, I haven't heard anything that I don't understand."

"I said I feel like I'm just a burden," she frowned, I'm not a warrior, I can defend myself, but I don't do much more, and she's a full warrior, I don't think you can understand how that feels Iolaus, you're a warrior too, I've seen you fight, you're everywhere, can take down anyone no matter how big they are, and it doesn't matter how many comes against you, you just knock them out."

"Except all the times 'they' knock 'me' out," he grinned. "I understand Gabrielle, I feel the same way at times, more often than you know."

"I don't believe it," she shook her head. "How could you ever feel like you're a burden to Hercules?"

"All the time," he sipped his ale. "About twenty times on the way here," he added with a shrug.

"You're lying," she decided. "You're just trying to make me feel better."

"Once when Hercules got a call from a village and he decided to run all the way there, and I couldn't keep up," Iolaus held up one finger. "Then later during the fight when they ganged up on me, I thought I was toast before Hercules pulled me out of that mess." He held up a second finger to make his point. "He kept watch during the whole night, while I fell asleep," a third finger. "Then I got myself into a bar fight because some drunk called me a runt," and he still bristled at that. "Only he was a pretty good fighter so Hercules had to save my skin there." He rather hated to admit that as he held up another finger, but he needed to make a point, and he wouldn't spare himself any embarrassment in doing it. "We fought some road bandits that were charging an impossibly high toll to pass a bridge, I did okay but one of them dragged me into the water and the current was so strong Hercules had to drag me out, then there was the time I didn't have the strength to last the whole fight, had to take a break," he continued to tick off the times on his fingers. "Bottom line is, I know what you mean Gabrielle, I feel like a burden too at times," he finished.

"But you're a warrior," she objected. "You can fight, and maybe he has to help you at times, but you're a lot stronger than me."

"Not when I'm compared to Hercules," he pointed out. "Sure, I'm a warrior, a mortal warrior, he's a warrior too but a demigod. That's what people see when we go somewhere. And that's what I'm trying to tell you. Yeah, next to an ordinary farmer I'd do great, I'm strong, fast and I can fight, but next to Hercules I'm not even what you are next to Xena."

"But you're not a danger to him," she shrugged, sipping her own ale. "I am, Xena has to protect me, she has to, all the time," she insisted when she saw his bemused smile.

"Usually when they figure out that Hercules can just pick them up and throw them away they go after me," he pointed out. "Then I'm the weak link and he has to drop what he's doing to pull me out, and I hate it. Always makes me feel like I can't handle myself, but it's just the nature of bullies, they just can't stand a fair fight, or one with anyone who's bigger than they are, so they go after me, usually a lot of them at the same time, twenty or so if they can manage. It makes them feel good I expect, it's been like that since I was little."

She giggled and he glared at her.

"And if you say one word about me still being little, I'm gonna laugh at you next time you have a problem," he threatened.

"Sorry Iolaus, I know you hate it," she apologized. "But I don't know why, you're not that short, and I'm kinda short to, but it doesn't bother me."

"It bothers me because it's made me a target for bullies all my life," he pointed out dryly. "Because they think I'm easy pickings, and I hate that they think they can just pick on anyone who's smaller than they are."

"I don't like it either," she decided. "But when they go after you, you can fight them off."

"So can you," he pointed out. "Okay, I can handle a few more, but compared to Hercules it's nothing, and that's just the point Gabrielle, it's not how much we can do, it's what Xena and Hercules can do. Hercules shows up me, and Xena shows up you, but even Hercules can show up Xena…"

"I guess," she admitted.

"And compared to Xena I'd be a more even match," he nodded. "That's why everyone forgets about me, because next to Hercules I'm nothing. We go somewhere, anywhere at all, and they all swarm around him, so grateful that he's helping, then they look at me and go, 'who're you?" He gets the hero's treatment and if I'm lucky they remember I'm there at the end."

"It can't be that bad," she giggled.

"Hey, I didn't laugh at you, you shouldn't laugh at me," his pretence at injured pride only had her laughing louder. "And it's exactly like that, more often than not. Sometimes they know he's got a sidekick, and then it's always, 'Hercules and Dofus', 'Hercules and Olus', 'Hercules and what's-his-name,' every time. For some reason no one can remember the name 'Iolaus' and it's not exactly a hard name."

"I remember it," she smiled.

"Yeah well," he was not going to let her off the hook that easy. "I'm gonna ask you something, answer me honestly." He accepted the plate with bread, cheese and olives that the barmaid brought, flashed her one of his most charming smiles and thanked her before ordering more ale.

"Okay," Gabrielle nodded. The barmaid might not know the name of her guest, but she sure liked him.

"Before you met Xena, had you heard about Hercules?" he asked, arms folded across his chest.

"Yeah, of course," she nodded.

"Had you heard about me?" he asked with a triumphant smile and she faltered.

"I think, maybe," she finally decided. "I'm not sure, we were just a small village you know."

"But Hercules was there once, saved the village," he pointed out. "Wasn't he? And wasn't everyone talking about it?"

"Yeah, but you weren't with him then, if you were I would have heard about it," she decided.

"I was there," he shook his head. "Right beside him, and took an arrow for the trouble, but all everyone remembers is Hercules. No one remembers the 'mere mortal' who was with him."

"You really were there?" she frowned.

"Yeah, I was," he nodded. "And I can prove it. There's a dent in the city wall, right left of the gate on the inside from where Hercules threw their leader. He threw one through the roof of the smithy, and that fellow left the forge in a hurry after he landed on the hot coals, got his bacon cooked good," he added with a grin.

"You were there, and I never knew," she frowned. "How could I not remember?"

"Because next to Hercules a mortal is nothing," he shrugged. "But I'll tell you something, there was a girl there, just a little kid, who kept urging us to let her fight with us, dragged around a stick twice as long as she was tall and begged us to let her fight them with us…"

"Oh," she blushed, she had almost forgotten about that.

"The point is, we might feel like we're burdens at times, and it might even be true, but that's not all we are," Iolaus told her softly. "Hercules easily forgets what it means to be a mortal, he forgets that he's stronger and I won't let him. When I can't keep up he knows it's time to slow down. I can keep him grounded because I am mortal, and that's the same you do for Xena, just in a different way. She tends to lose herself in her guilt and in her struggle, you ground her, and it counterbalances the burden you are."

"You mean, when I feel like I'm a burden I really am," she smiled wryly. "But to Xena I'm worth it?"

"Exactly," he smiled. "And hey, it works the other way around. I mean, think about it, there are times when Hercules is a burden to me, because I'm the one who has to bear up all that he is, you do the same for Xena."

"But it's more of a mental burden," she mused and he nodded. "You know, I think you're right."

"Of course I'm right," he giggled. "I've had a long time to figure this out you know."

"Yeah, I guess," she smiled. "And you understood this a lot better than I thought you would, I would never have thought you felt the same way."

"Jumping to conclusions, huh?" he teased. "That's not a good idea."

"I know," she nodded. "Hard not to do it at times though."

"I know, I've done the same mistake, many times," he smiled lightly, making her feel a lot better.

Over by the bar Xena looked their way with a bemused smile. "I'm sure glad we caught up with you," she confided in Hercules. "Gabrielle has been rather moody lately, she thinks she's a burden to me, Iolaus can usually cheer her up."

"He's good at cheering people up," Hercules nodded. "And he can probably help her sort out the problem too."

"You might be right," she decided. "He plays the clown so often that sometimes I forget how good he is at that."

"Underestimating my partner, are you?" Hercules chided, elbowing her playfully.

"Maybe a little," she admitted. "I'll never underestimate his fighting ability again, but when it comes to those sensitive matters…."

"Then sometimes I underestimate him too," Hercules admitted. "He's got a lot of experience being a sidekick though, even if he never is in my mind, he understands what she's going through, you can trust me on that."

"I do, that's why I'm here with you instead of over there with them," she pointed out. "If I didn't think he could handle it, I wouldn't let him try, I care too much about Gabrielle."

"A little overprotective huh?" he teased.

"Yeah, sometimes I forget how well she can handle herself, but you wouldn't understand about that, would you?" she added with a wry grin. "I'd imagine Iolaus can handle himself rather well in a fight."

"He can," Hercules nodded. "But sometimes I forget just how well. All I see is that he's outnumbered, or how much bigger they are than him, so I butt in. But if you leave him be he can usually manage. It's really amazing in a way, I know I can do it, but being a demigod is a rather big advantage, he's not only mortal, but a pretty small one at that, and yet he keeps up with me just fine…."

"You know," Xena swallowed the last of her ale. "Maybe if we could remember how good they are at what we do, they wouldn't feel that they were a burden to us…?"

"You have a point," Hercules decided. "Not butt in when we think they are in trouble, allow them to handle themselves, stuff like that…"

"Could you do it?"

"No," he shook his head with a laugh. "If they're ganging up on him, I jump in, and I couldn't stop myself if I tried. I'm strong, but not that strong!"

"So you're overprotective and smothering," she decided. "Shame on you Hercules."

"I'm just as bad as you are," he laughed. "I wonder how they put up with us?"

"Maybe the next time they start thinking they're a burden to us, we should tell them what we're doing to them," Xena suggested with a bemused smile and again he laughed.

"Yeah," he grinned. "Maybe we're stronger, but I don't know, they're the ones who keep us grounded, and all we do in turn is smothering them, Xena, we're really terrible people if you think about it."

"I think I'd rather not think about it," she decided. "I don't care if she can't always handle it, with all the things she does for me, it's the least I can do for her."

"Yeah, some of the gods thinks that mortals are just a burden," Hercules nodded. "Maybe to them, but to me it's an easy burden to bear, and going on without it would be a lot harder…"

"But let's not tell them that," Xena suggested with a wink, lightening the mood. "I would hate it if they figured out they don't really need us."

"Deal," he grinned, thrusting his hand at her and grasping her forearm in a warrior's handshake to seal the vow. It would be a bad thing if their partners figured out they didn't need their heroes, and lonely too….

_**The End**_

_No heroes were burdened during the writing of this fanfic, nor did they allow the truth to slip… _

Please review, the Cricket is hungry….


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